An Eighth Shot of Espresso: Coffee and Creativity on Mum's Third Shift

fresh faced  and innocent  they take you  under their wing  show you the ropes  how to behave what to say where to put  your hands when to look them in the eye and when to lower your gaze  how to survive  and outwit the ones  who want to see  you fail. the years pass and you see a newcomer and so you pay it forward and complete the cycle. 

a cloud over memories  she cannot remember  a life afflicted by fog  she knows this place holds some significance these faces should  be utterly familiar but it slips her mind. what did I do have I been here before  where am I  grasping with silent fingers an unraveled tapestry a stretched fabric  of a life punctured by holes.

glass pen slender and swirled  dip the point  into purple ink  the pressure  determines  the thickness of lines smooth curves  of a forgotten  writing skill as the silent scratch of the parchment letters joined into words invite you to a party or a wedding or a letter of intention a poem of love or a binding agreement a code that hides all sorts of secrets no one can decode in this day and age.

Bamboo grows  new shoots in the spring  a forest of green  that bend  in the wind  but never breaks no matter how angrily the gale blows over them gentle rain nourish sweet soil as they reach the sky their leaves a canopy to shelter weary travelers their hollow stems support a house or become the parchment of the emperor's edict or fill the stomach of a hungry man.

Take a bite  of your favorite food  an apple, a taco  a pumpkin pie  savor the taste remember the texture  for once it is eaten  it is forever gone but it becomes a part of you nourishes your body and soul easily forgotten until for some reason you cannot have it anymore

Needle and thread  repair the rips and tears  in daughter's play dress  kiss the tears  and lovingly patch up  the skinned knees  of childhood The years pass she becomes a woman sew ball gowns prom dresses a wedding dress of satin and lace for a special day Towels and kerchiefs for a brand new trousseau quilts and blankets then back to play clothes again for a brand new generation of little ones with grass stains and skinned knees